Government financial aid has eliminated any incentive for colleges and
universities to control their costs. Simple fact of life: The more money
available to spend on anything, the more it will cost.

When my
grandmother got a social security increase, her rent went up by the same
amount.When my father-in-law go a union negotiated raise, prices at
grocery stores, fast food restaurants and other stores went up by about the same
percentage.

It's supply and demand. Cut financial aid and cut
government funding to higher education and costs will go down.

The article and quiz support my theory that education is a business, a big
business that continues to grow in cost. The young people need education and
training for the adult world, but that does not necessarily mean a four-year
degree. Community colleges, Area Vocational Centers, the military in some
cases, and even apprentice programs, where you can find them, will meet the
need.

In my not so humble opinion, there are way too many people in
colleges and universities struggling with no clear goals or futures and
accumulating debt that will crush their lives for decades when an
associate's degree or certificate would get them into the work world to get
experience and with time clarify goals and objectives.

The higher
education systems and government are in collusion in perpetuating the farce of a
bachelor's degree as entry into the so-called "American Dream".
Colleges and Universities are accepting marginal students to fill seats,
charging more for remedial courses when they should have rejected their
applications.

Elimination of athletic programs would reduce tuition
costs greatly, but I digress.

"And without financial aid how will anyone suddenly be able to afford
it?"

Well, if costs go down, it is more affordable. Therefore
more students will be able to afford it. There are lots of ways to pay for
college, including working during the summer to save up for it, working during
the school year, and scholarships.

First, I would recommend students
go to a 2-year college first (Snow College is my recommendation). That way they
save with the cheaper tuition and expenses while saving up for a 4-year
university. In the meantime, it is easy to get scholarships to a 2-year college,
saving even more money, and you can get good grades while at the 2-year school
so you can get scholarship at the 4-year university.

There are good
jobs for college students. Some summer jobs can pay enough for school, such as
sales. Also, some school jobs (such as desk clerks or something of the sort) let
you do homework in your downtime, saving time.

Finally, there are
more than just academic scholarships. Take advantage of your skills!